Maybe we need to learn to look at something differently?

FRIDAY

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Ha ha, I was the first through the barrier when they opened the gate.  A nice little compensation for the bit of a mess up with the tickets!

While we had been waiting, we were assailed by The Bad Brigade who marched right through the queues to open the Festival.

Marshall Okell performing on the Main Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

Acoustic roots band Hussy Hicks was a good start, but Festival perennial, Marshall Okell with his new band, struggled in the Main Tent.  I am looking forward to seeing them in the more compact Great Ocean Hotel on Saturday night.

Campbell the Swaggie rocked up and told me he had come down from Maldon with the Badges who were still at the shack, but it wasn't long before they were here too.

We saw the end of Warchief at the Great Ocean and as Jess Rebeiro and the Bone Collectors started and as much as we were enjoying them, we tossed up between New Zealand's Bonjah and Scotland's Sandi Thom.

Sandi Thom performing solo in the Catholic Church
[Photo: Og Bear]

I decided I would rather see Sandi do an acoustic solo show in the Catholic Church than with her band on the Main Stage tomorrow.  The church was full but was glad to have squeezed in to see her.

After that it was back to the Great Ocean to catch an amazing pub performance by Blues Eyes Cry.  A real blues feel with a touch of Chicago.

High energy band, Dubmarine on the Main Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

Over in the Main Tent I was soon enjoying a high powered high energy band that really suited the bigger venue, who I later found out to be Dubmarine.

Caught the end of Palace of the King back at the Great Ocean, thought they were listed as a 'dirty blues' band I was not quite sure what to think of them.  But next came the Redcoats and after great expectations they really were a bit of a disappointment so 15 minutes in it was time to call it night.

I arrived at the shack at 1am.  Having gone straight to the Festival I hadn't even been there to unload and setup yet!

Only three venues were operating on the Friday night and the start and finish times for each set of acts was synchronised with similar genres on at the same time.  It became a little frustrating as many of the acts you wanted to see were on at the same time!

Also, this seemed a bit strange as Friday night is often the big night with everyone arriving and ready to go.

The atmosphere outside the Great Ocean Hotel
[Photo: Og Bear]

I was really glad to see the Great Ocean Hotel back in this year, though no Apollo Bay Hotel, but that didn't worry me as it was never my favourite venue.

The program was a bit frustrating; a clumsy tabloid sized insert from Forte magazine.

SATURDAY

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You always forget something when you pack, so when I went to make breakfast I found no fruit which I like, so it was toast, jam and vegemite.

Elvis is alive and well with a gig outside the bakery
[Photo: Og Bear]

On the way there we stumbled across Elvis, apparently alive and well, and with a gig in front of the Apollo Bay Bakery doing parodies of his hits to get customers inside.

View of the Festival market from Vanessa's Top Deck
[Photo: Og Bear]

Not many food stalls, but all good
[Photo: Og Bear]

As well as the great normal Saturday morning Apollo Bay farmers market they put on a really good special Festival market too.

Inside the compound there was only a set amount of food stalls, but they were good with variety.  Preference is given to locals before outsiders are let in.

We kept finding ourselves wandering down the middle of the main street, ironically forgetting until a car comes along that they haven't closed it off for the last two years!

Festival dragon guarding Jess Ribeiro on the Main Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

Jess Ribeiro performing on the Main Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

We did catch Jess Reberio and the Bone Collectors on the Main Stage.  She has a spunk about her and her band.  I seem to remember her starting as a duo busking five or six years ago at the Apollo Bay Festival.
We were glad to see some recycled couches and chairs to relax on and we had a laugh as we realised those horrible Yellow Tail card board box chairs from previous years were gone.

Also, though expensive, the ticketing for alcohol in the compound was more organised this year.

The Yearlings getting warmed up on the Mechanics Institute Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

We all decided to see Adelaide band, The Yearlings at the Mechanics Institute.  They came out as a duo and though a bit Country, I enjoyed the ballads they sung.  But as they went on they were joined by other musicians and it all became a bit of a blancmange so I left.

I wasn't out of the woods yet, at the Catholic Church I found Ukaholics, well as I am reformed I quickly departed!

There was only one solution, Dooleys where John Lamp talked me into a gelati, chocolate cassata topped by berry. He was right when he said you would kill for it.

The final of the bad run I was having with bands was when I headed to the Main Stage for Rapskallion only to find it was an error in the programing, so a different band was playing.

Electric Filth's Jack Filmore on the Side Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

But a real bonus was on the Side Stage with Electric Filth playing.  This is a local Apollo Bay band lead by Jack Filmore who won the Vic Hunt Memorial at the Blues Club last year.

Back on the Main Stage, Chase the Sun were playing.  It was rock, but it was fun and enjoyable.

The youngest Filmore, Seamus, busking with higher ambitions
[Photo: Og Bear]

Young Ollie McIntyre busking with his alto sax
[Photo: Og Bear]

Another Leary on the way with great nephew Jasper
[Photo: Og Bear]

We really miss the formal busking competition that created so much street atmosphere in the past.  Despite no official busking competition (second year in a row) there were still a handful of hardy performers on the street.

Just outside the Festival exit, young Seamus Filmore, yes Jack's younger brother, was strumming his guitar with original vocals.  I was glad to hear that Seamus was thinking about entering the Vic Hunt Memorial himself this year.

I happened across the whole Filmore family later on.  Peter, who was the Festival President when I started coming again 7 years ago, Seamus and Jack with their very proud mum, Michelle.

Ollie McIntyre, secondary college student had come down from Melbourne to blow his sax on the street.

Another young busker, 13 year old Jasper Lear from Footscray, yes Leary's great nephew, was playing very cruisy tunes on a bench.

Matt Kelly and String Orchestra performing in the Mechanics Institute
[Photo: Og Bear]

John Lamp interviewing Matt Kelly after the gig
[Photo: Og Bear]

I trundled back to the Mechanics Institute to see Matt Kelly and String Quartet.  I think I should have enjoyed this, but the sound as interesting as it looked just wasn't coming across. Lamp must have been in a different spot to me as he got quite a good recording of their big sound for his radio show.

Katie Wighton wooing the crowd in the Mechanics Institute
[Photo: Og Bear]

While we were waiting for Katie Wighton to be set up a couple of MCs came on that thought they were at The Oscars. This with a very clumsy sound check became really quite annoying.

Once Katie got going, visually she presented well however her stage craft left a bit to be desired.  It all got a bit monotonous after three or four songs so again it was time to move on.

I picked up the Badges from the RSL, where they had retreated to, and we headed back to the shack for tea, some of Edwards famous beef lasagna with Jan's garlic potatoes and salad.

We all lamented that the Festival was no longer the one we used to enjoy, where we felt like dressing up and getting into the throng.  But Jan lead the way and stated that it is us that should enjoy ourselves, and that seeing this would probably be their last Festival, that we should all dress up despite how we felt.

We had all been looking forward to Alex Bowen and we headed back to see him in the Great Ocean, but in the end it was just OK.

Nai Palm leading Hiatus Kaiyote on the Main Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

Next was Hiatus Kaiyote were on in the Main Tent which I quite enjoyed.  They were lead by a quite spunky young lady in a leotard, wearing a wrestler's championship belt.

We had looked forward to Ryan Coffey next on the Side Stage, but he was very disappointing.

Sorbet at Dooley's this time after first ice cream, then gelati.

Lachlan Brian and the Wildes in the Great Ocean
[Photo: Og Bear]

Wiping the remainders off my lips I entered the Great Ocean to find Lachlan Bryan and the Wildes playing.  But what we were really there for was Marshall Okell with his new band.  I had run into an old friend, Brenda, who I see at the Chicken Shop, so we sat in the beer garden listening. waiting for the Badges to join us.

Filling in time for us was Lamarama in the Great Ocean, more of a pub band, but OK.

There is always a point where you lose a grip on your Festival program and all of a sudden I realised I had missed Abbie Cardwell and Alister Turrill.

Marshall Okell giving his best in the Great Ocean
[Photo: Og Bear]

Marshall was his usual old self in the Great Ocean.  The smaller venue suited the band far better and he is always a pleasure to photograph.

Dynamic indigenous band OKA on the Main Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

Australian indigenous band OKA on the Main Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

Back on the Main Stage was an old favourite, OKA, an indigenous band from Queensland.  They had the audience really enthused and the band was really up to scratch with great showmanship.

King of the North on the Main Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

I really liked King of the North who came next, but not enough that I would have paid the high door price at the Yarra in Geelong a few weeks back.

Ghost Orkid was finishing as I arrived back at the Great Ocean, but I sensed I hadn't missed much.

Woohoo Revue on the Main Stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

The Bad Brigade creating mayhem in the Main Tent
[Photo: Og Bear]

Finishing off the night in the Main Tent was Woohoo Revue, a wonderful reminder of Apollo Bay Music Festivals of old.  As they finished, The Bad Brigade, who have been supporting them on their tour, marched onto the stage.  They then marched down the steps, off the stage, and into the crowd, creating excitement and mayhem, as they ushered us all out of the compound and onto the street where they continued their outrageous performance for quite a while before it was time to concede defeat and go home to bed.

This is one of the really great things the new committee do, as they did with Nicky Bomba's Ska Orchestra last year.

SUNDAY

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Checking out the program, today was a bit sparse with not much of interest.  We had decided to go home today, rather stay till Monday, as we have done in previous years.  There were a couple of acts late afternoon, but nothing to get us excited enough to stay for.

Edward, Og, Campbell and Jan at the bakery as we part ways
[Photo: Og Bear]

Jordie Lane in the Main Tent
[Photo: Og Bear]

Alister Turrill in the Great Ocean
[Photo: Og Bear]

The Badges, Campbell and myself all had a coffee and an early lunch at the Apollo Bay Bakery before departing,  Brenda turned up and we went to see Jordie Lane at the Main Stage.  Was good.

Dumplings and Jerry's Vegiburgers for lunch (again?).  Brenda wanted to see Alister Turrill at the Great Ocean and I concurred.  I love this young guy and encores were called for.

Last on our program was Bobby Alu who we had missed last night.  His show reflecting his Pacific roots was a good way to finish the Festival.

Another Apollo Bay over, maybe my last
[Photo: Og Bear]

BITCH IN REVIEW

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As I came over the mountains I started to wonder if I had got the wrong weekend, or had it been cancelled.  There was no traffic on the road.  Apparently many had come down the day before on ANZAC Day.

Some said the Festival was sold out, but even with less venues there did not appear to be a big crowd.

The 2009 Festival opening parade
[Photo: Og Bear]

I really miss the parade and the sense of community involvement that was there until last year.  I think a 'welcome to country' would be appropriate as well.

Last year the layout and venues were downsized, this year the number of acts has had the axe.

Unlike previous Festivals most bands were only on once or twice with very few on a third time, so it was hard to catch band you had missed.  Also there was no whisper of chatter about a 'must see' band.  There was no sense of enthusiasm and many Festival goers seemed be just going through the paces.

The main tent is simply too large for this festival.  With the exception of some of the larger ones, most acts simply die in there.  There were very few times when the place felt anywhere near half full, which detracted from the sense of atmosphere.  It also made the festival look as though it was struggling as the venue often looked empty rather than full.  This was really apparent went I went over the photos I had taken.

Therefore, it would be better, and far less costly, to have the main tent half the size for the larger acts then add a second tent half that size again for the smaller acts being featured in the compound.  This would also bring some variety and intimacy back into the Festival.

Andy Baylor playing in 2009 at the more intimate venue of the Bowling Club
[Photo: Og Bear]

No matter what the many comments I got, pros and cons, for this Festival, there was one clear and unanimous plea, 'BRING BACK THE BOWLING CLUB AND THE KINDS OF ACTS THAT WERE IN IT.'

Mr Merls, the whole group of his friends, plus the many other people who told me they weren't coming this year gave me the same comment 'NO BOWLING CLUB!'  It was also the reason many were giving when they said they weren't coming next year including the Badges.

It seems to me that bringing this back would solve much of the beef that people have been expressing, and that most would be happy about this Festival again.  This issue seems far more important than all the others put together.

Sadly Apollo Bay is no longer the brave little festival it used to be.  It has lost that sense of intimacy with every year being sometimes more than slightly difference with little surprises that would pop up here and there.

With the change of administration this festival lost it's way, becoming safe and risking becoming a bit of a monolog, each simply a slightly different repeat of the previous festival, operating at the lowest common denominator, just to get the punters in, a sort of 'Bogan Fest'.

Up until a few years back our shack used to be full, with many friends and acquaintances filling up other accommodations.

One Apollo Bay local I spoke to on the Sunday who has been to all 21 Festivals said, 'for him this was the last, they have buggered it.'

View towards Apollo Bay's main street and the Festival Compound
[Photo: Og Bear]

[Og Bear]

I was glad to run into Brenda and spend some time at the Festival with her
[Photo: Brenda's Friend]

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